A rebuilding NBA team isn’t known to hang onto veterans. That doesn’t mean they won’t have them on their roster. A veteran player can have a lot of value to a rebuilding NBA team. 

To begin with, they offer mentorship. A veteran has seen enough to share with the young players on a rebuilding team. With that said, that’s not the only value they have to rebuilding teams. Productive veterans can also be valuable trade chips. 

Take Malcolm Brogdon of the Portland Trail Blazers. When the Blazers acquired Brogdon, they were never expected to keep him. As the trade deadline approaches, the Blazers are likely to shop Brogdon. Here are three teams that we think should be interested in him. 

Minnesota Timberwolves 

The Timberwolves have taken the NBA by storm in 2023-24. They sit atop the Western Conference. This has been an impressive run. Last season, nobody expected the Wolves to be here. 

Moreover, the Timberwolves start an aging Mike Conley at point guard. He’s a good player, but he’s nearing retirement. If this team was going to make a win-now upgrade, they’d likely pursue some help in their backcourt rotation. 

With that said, it takes two to tango. The Timberwolves are light on draft capital. With that in mind, they may not have enough to offer the Blazers. Is there a team with more assets who may want Brogdon? 

New York Knicks 

The Knicks have already had a busy trade season. They acquired O.G. Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors. In return, they sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley up north. 

Anunoby and Barrett play the same position – there’s no hole in this rotation as far as wings are concerned. With that said, the Knicks may be missing Quickley. After moving him, they’re missing a scoring and playmaking punch in their second unit. 

Brogdon could fill that role. It seems like the Knicks are interested. Some reports have even suggested that these two sides are closing in on a deal. Could anyone beat the Knicks to the punch? 

Houston Rockets 

The Rockets could use the same punch – in their starting lineup. Jalen Green has had a disappointing season. If the Rockets acquired Brogdon, they’d likely move Green to the bench and promote Brogdon to the starting lineup. 

Meanwhile, they can offer a similar package as the Knicks. They’ve got comparable draft capital. The Rockets also have several expiring contracts, and enough salary space to absorb Brogdon without matching his deal precisely. This could work. 

With that said, the Rockets are in a different place from the Knicks. While New York is squarely in win-now mode, the Rockets are threading a needle between prioritizing the present and the future. They may not want to give up the assets it would take to land Brogdon – even if they’ve got room for another veteran.